1964 Rickenbacker model 1996 Rose Morris fireglo

A very cool 3-pickup shortscale guitar with a 20,75" scale,a one-piece maple neck with an unbound, 21-fret, lacquer-finished rosewood fretboard, three “toaster” single-coil pickups, a hollow maple body, f-hole, and Ac’cent vibrato tailpiece. Some fret wear, the pickguard has been signed by Roger McQuinn of the Byrds (the signature says To Rolf from Roger McQuinn) but in 1997 the previous owner ordered a new upper pickguard and tremolo arm for the guitar directly from John C. Hall of Rickenbacker, President of Rickenbacker (signed correspondence included) so these are also included. The lower pickguard has been cracked and been glued back together. 

The model 1996 RM was imported 1964-1967 by a the brittish importer Rose Morris and is a 3/4 size built similarly to the US model 325. The 1996 RM was also later reissued in 2006 as a special order, closely connected to among others John Lennon and the Beatles as these models were one of his go-to guitars during the Ed Sullivan Show and Saturday Evening Post-era, but also used by John Fogerty and others. 

Original Kluson Deluxe tuners, worn finish on the edges of the body and some belt buckle wear. John Lennons original model 1996 with serial number DE519 (May of 1964) from Ringo Starrs collection was sold at an auction at Julien´s Auctions in 2005 for 910000USD, this guitar is DG875 and was made 2 months later, and can be had at a fraction of the cost of Ringos guitar. 

More interesting info on Lennons guitar: Description A 1964 Rose-Morris Rickenbacker, model 1996, nick-named “The Beatle Backer” owned by John Lennon and later gifted to Ringo Starr. The guitar is semi-hollow bodied with an F-hole, in fireglo finish, serial number DE519. This guitar was originally given to John Lennon by Rose-Morris, the official UK importer of Rickenbacker, when his 1964 Rickenbacker 325 was damaged during a Christmas performance. As stated by Andy Babiuk in his comprehensive book Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four’s Instruments from Stage to Studio: 

“Lennon’s misfortune became Rose-Morris’s great fortune. The Beatles had so far only dealt with Rickenbacker in the USA, but now the British distributor was able to act directly and to cash in. By giving Lennon a new fireglo-finish 1996 model – the British equivalent of the 325 – Rose-Morris felt justified in using the Beatles and Lennon in its own advertising campaign. New ads appeared, with one prominently bearing the slogan: “Rickenbacker the Beatle backer.” It featured a picture of Lennon and the 1996 guitar, adding: ‘This is the famous Rickenbacker guitar model 1996 as used by Beatle John Lennon. For a long time now, John and his Rickenbacker have been inseparable, so why don’t you try one at your local music shop?’” 

Lennon played this guitar for the remaining 1964 Christmas shows. This guitar can also be seen in photographs, taken in 1967, in Lennon’s home music-room. In 1968 Lennon gifted the guitar to Starr. In 1968, when tensions were rising among the Beatles, Starr, briefly left his bandmates who were recording The Beatles aka the "White Album". When he returned, fresh with new material he had written, Lennon gave him this Rickenbacker. According to Babiuk, Lennon thought the guitar would fit Starr well and wanted to encourage Starr to write more songs.